Automatic spring-winding mechanism for mechanical musical-instrument devices.



No. 697,754. Patented Apr. I5, I902.

H. E. SHARPS & W. F. COOPER. AUTONA-T'I CWSMB ING WINDING MECHANISM FORMECHANICAL MUSICAL $5.1 msmumam DEVICES.

(Application filed Feb. 10, 1902.)

(No Model.)

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"rnrns ilnrmnir HERBERT E. SHARPS AND WILLIAM F. COOPER, OF BRIDGEPORTCONNECTICUT.

AUTOMATIC SPRING-WINDING MECHANISM FOR MECHANICAL MUSICAL-INSTRUMENTDEVICES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Eetters Patent N 0. 697,754, dated April15, 1902.

Application filed February 10, 1902. Serial No. 93,365. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, HERBERT E. SHARPS and VVILLIAM F. COOPER, citizensof the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfieldand State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Automatic SpringWVinding Mechanism for MechanicalMusical-Instrument Devices; and we do hereby declare the following to beafull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

Our invention relates to automatic springwinding mechanism formechanical musicalinstrument devices, and has for its object to providean improved and simple automatic winding mechanism for winding andkeeping wound a spring-motor to be applied to the rolling and rerollingof a perforated tunesheet for automatic musical instruments andautomatic musical attachments.

TVith these ends in view our invention consists in certain details ofconstruction and combination of parts, such as will be hereinafter fullyset forth, and then specifically be designated by the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this application,Figure 1 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in section,showing our improvement; and Fig. 2 a sectional elevation of thespring-motor and winding-spring in their proper assembled positions.

Similar numbers of reference denote like parts in both figures of thedrawings.

1 is any suitable and ordinary casing, within which is journaled themotor-shaft 2. 3 is a drum hung loosely around this shaft inside thecasing, and a is the motor-spring, the inner end of which is secured tothe shaft 2 by any suitable means, as a screw 5, (shown in dottedlines,) while the outer end of said spring is securedto the wall of thedrum by any suitable means, such as a screw 6.

7 is a disk having one of its hubs 8 secured to the shaft 2, while tothe other hub 9 of this disk is secured the hub 10 of a second disk 11,so that it will be clear that the shaft 2 and disks 7 11 are rigidlysecured together, so as to revolve in harmony.

12 is a wheel whose hub 13 is loosely journaled on the hub 8, and 14 isa small wheel whose hub 15 is loosely journaled on the hub 11. Thewheels 12 14: are recessed or cutaway at one side, as shown at 16 17 ineach instance, and the disks 7 11 extend within these recessed portions,so that the peripheries of the disks are very close to the innerperipheries of the recesses. The peripheries of these disks are providedwith little wedge-shaped pockets 18, as shown at Fig. 1 in the instanceof the disk 11, and resting within these pockets of this disk 11 arelittle balls 19, while corresponding balls 20 rest within the pockets ofthe disk 7. The diameter of these balls is greater than the width of thespace between the peripheries of the disks and the peripheries of therecesses 16 17 at all points, except where these pockets are located, sothat it will be clear that when the wheels are turned in the directionof the arrow, as shown at Fig. 1, there will be no wedging or bindingbetween these wheels and disks; but when said wheels are turn ed in areverse direction the balls will be wedged tightly between theperipheries of the disks and recesses, and thereby cause the wheels anddisks to revolve in harmony. Small springs 21 21 are secured to thesides of the disks, the extremities of these springs being extendedbehind the balls, so as to normally keep the latter away from the widestportions of the pockets, and this will insure an instant binding orclutching between the disks and wheels when the latter are turned in thedirection reverse to that of the arrow in Fig. 1. This construction andarrangement of ballclutch is not new, but is an expedient commonlyknown, and we therefore do not wish to be understood as laying any claimthereto, since any suitable clutch mechanism will answer the purposes ofour invention, although we prefer the form shown and described.

22 23 are the winding-springs, whose inner ends are secured to the hubs13 15 of the wheels 12 let, while the outer extremities of these springsare secured to any suitable pin 24., which extends from the casing 1.The springs 4., 22, and 23 are the usual volute springs, and the springs22 23 are each stronger than the spring 4, and the springs 22 23 arewound in a direction reverse to the direction in which the spring; iswound, and when the wheels are turned in the direction indicated by thearrow at Fig. l the springs be turned in the direction indicated by thearrow and then released the springs 22 23 would cause the wheels andshaft 2 to revolve in a direction reverse to that indicated by saidarrow and the motor-spring 4 would be wound. The'wheels are connectedwith any suitable treadle or pedal devices, so that at the power-strokeof such treadle or pedal these wheels will be turned in the directionindicated by the arrow, so as to wind the springs 22 23, while at thereturn movement of such pedal or t-readle the motor-spring will be Woundby the action of the more powerful springs 22 23. It is of courseimmaterial as to what form of pedal or treadle or connecting means areutilized in connection with our invention, and we have therefore shownan ordinary form of pedal 25, connected to the wheels by means of cablesor cords 26 27. One of these cords 26, being shown at Fig. 1, isconnected with the treadle and passed over suitable pulleys 28 29 andthen attached to the periphery of the wheel 14. The cord 27 is of courseconnected at one end with the periphery of the Wheel 12 and then passedover a pulley 30 and another pulley similar to the pulley 28 (but notshown) and attached to the other treadle or pedal. We have shown anddescribed two of these wheels and two sets of the more powerful springs,since this is an advantageous construction in that 7 it is quicker andthe power and work are better divided; but we do not wish to be lim-'vention.

The drum 3 carries a gear 31, which meshes with the usual train ofgears, by means of which the unrolling of the perforated tunesheet iseffected, and the transferring of the power of the motor-spring to theusual rewinding-roll is accomplished by the ordinary gear-shiftingmechanism which we have not shown and which will require no illustrationor description herein.

There are several forms of spring-motors that are used in automaticpiano-players, and we have illustrated a well-known form of motor inwhich the motor-spring winds continuously. It will of course be apparentthat the drum 3 may be a stationary element and for all practicalpurposes a part of the casing 1, while the winding and unwinding of themotor-spring 4 may both be effected through the connection of themotor-spring with the shaft 2, and in this instance this shaft would beoperatively connected with the usual train of gears by means of whichthe unrolling of the perforated tune-sheet is accom- .plished, and thisconstruction would cause the unwinding of the motor-spring to beeffected intermittently. Also spring-motors are commonly used in whichno drum whatever is employed, the outer extremity of the motor-springbeing connected in any suitable and ordinary manner with the perforatedtu ne-sheet-unrolling devices. \Ve therefore do not wish to be limitedto any particular. form of spring-motor, since the gist of our inventionresides in the broad idea of winding the motor-spring by means of theaction of a more powerful spring at the return movement of the pedal.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an automatic spring-winding mechanism for mechanicalmusical-instrument devices, the combination of the stationary casing,the shaft journaled within said casing, the motor-spring having itsinner and outer extremities respectively secured to said shaft and tothe mechanism by means of which the unrolling of theperforatedtune-sheet is effected, a wheel capable of revolutionindependent of said shaft, a spring relatively more powerful than themotor-spring and having its inner and outer extremities respectivelysecured to said wheel and to a stationary element, meansas acord-secured to said wheel and to the pedal whereby the power-stroke ofthe latter will revolve the wheel in one direction to wind the morepowerful spring, and a friction-clutch whereby said wheel will, whenrevolved in a reverse direction, be rigidly connected with said shaft towind the motor-spring on the return movement of the pedal, substantiallyas set forth.

2. In anautomatic spring-winding mechanism for mechanicalmusical-instrument devices, the combination of the stationary cas ing,the shaft journaled within said casing, a motor-spring having its innerand outer extremities respectively secured to said shaft and to themechanism by means of which the unrolling of the perforated tune-sheetis effected, a wheel capable of revolving independent of said shaft, aspring relatively more powerful than the motor-sprin g and having itsinner and outer extremities respectively secured to said wheel and to astationary element, said springs being wound in reverse directions, thepedal, a connection between said wheel and pedal whereby thepower-stroke of the latter will revolve said wheel in one direction andwind said powerful spring, and a friction-clutch carried by said shaftand adapted to engage with said wheel on its reverse movement whereby atthe return stroke of the pedal said powerful spring will effect thisreverse movement of the Wheel and thereby wind the motor-spring,substantially as set forth.

3. In an automatic spring-winding mechanism for mechanicalmusical-instrument devices, the combination of the stationary casing,the shaft journaled within said casing, the motor-spring having itsinner and outer extremities respectively secured to said shaft and tothe mechanism by means of which the unrolling of the perforatedtune-sheet is effected, the friction-clutches moving in barmony withsaid shaft, the wheel capable of independent rotation in one direction,the springs which are each relatively more powerf ul than themotor-spring, and which are each wound in a direction reverse to that ofsaid motor-spring and whose inner and outer extremities are respectivelysecured to said wheels and to a stationary element, the pedals, andconnections between said wheels and pedals whereby the power-strokes ofthe latter will effect the free rotations of said wheels thereby windingthe powerful springs, while at the return movements of said pedals therelaxation of said powerful springs will eifect the engagement of saidclutches and wheels and cause the latter to revolve in a reversedirection thereby winding the motor-spring, substantially as set forth.

4. In an automatic spring-winding mechanism for mechanicalmusical-instrument devices, the combination of the stationary casing,the shaft journaled within said casing, l

the drum loosely carried by said shaft, the motor-spring whose inner andouter extremities are respectively secured to said shaft and drum, awheel capable of revolving independent of said shaft, a springrelatively more powerful than the motor-spring and having its inner andouter extremities respectively secured to said wheel and to a stationaryelement, said springs being wound in reverse directions, the pedal, aconnection between said wheel and pedal whereby the power-stroke of thelatter will revolve said wheel in one direction and wind said powerfulspring, and a friction clutch carried by said shaft and adapted toengage with said wheel on its reverse movement whereby at the returnstroke of the pedal said powerful spring will eifect this reversemovement of the wheel and thereby wind the motor-spring, substantiallyas set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

HERBERT E. SHARPS. WILLIAM F. COOPER.

Witnesses:

F. W. SMITH, J r., M. T. LONGDEN.

